Proverbs 25:6-7; Come up Here!

"6 Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence
or stand in the place of the great;
7 for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here’,
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble."

I. Introduction

This passage, which becomes the basis for one of Jesus' admonitions in the Gospel lesson for today (Luke 14:7-14), introduces us to the Book of Proverbs, the most interesting collection of maxims and wise sayings of any literature from antiquity. Though the task of today is only to unfold the meaning of 25:6-7, which on one level needs little exposition, my larger task is to explain 25:6-7 in the context of Proverbs and of human life in general. Let's begin with some words about Proverbs.

The Book of Proverbs is a collection of seven "mini-collections" of different kinds of wise sayings. The first nine chapters, the first collection, give generic advice, mostly in long expositions or hymns. For example, Prov. 1:20-33 personifies Wisdom as a (female) force in the universe, urging potentially foolish and heedless young men to turn to her counsel or suffer the consequences of refusal. But the generic advice also includes some of the "prize" sayings of Proverbs about what you might call one's spiritual or intellectual orientation in life. Prov. 3:5-6, for example, is a favorite of many:

"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths."

But the Book of Proverbs also has several collections of materials which give practical, day-to-day advice on how to live a successful life. What is striking about this advice is that no mention is made about sacrifice or fulfilling the law; the emphasis is on mastery and putting into effect basic principles for living. The basic precept, just quoted, anchors the person in God, though the specific proverbs, beginning in 10:1, deal with all kinds of life situations. The assumption behind Proverbs is that disciplined attention to proper living, in the family, the King's court and society at large, will yield a prosperous and satisfying life. Even though we may quibble with or chuckle over some of the Proverbs, they retain their staying power 2000-3000 years after they were first penned.

II. Moving to Chapter 25

Prov. 25:6-7 appears in a collection of Proverbs of Solomon which Hezekiah, a king of the late 8th century BC, was supposed to have put together (25:1-29:27). Though these chapters will get to Proverbs of general application (one of my favorite is 25:11, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver") the opening words of this section speak about how a young person (male, here) can "make it" at court. Court life, like any kind of venture where two or more are gathered, was an intensely political place. Young men "on the make" had to calculate not only how to try to impress the king, and not get on his bad side, but also how to relate to others who were also jockeying for the king's favor. Should they be deferential? Aggressive? Backbiting? Conniving? How does an ambitious young person "make it," when the positions of honor seem to be limited and the young person doesn't control the means by which these positions are doled out? If we understand this as the background to the passage, we are better able to understand its sage advice.

The overall passage 25:1-7 is concerned with the power and privileges of the king. Verses 1-3 speak about the glory of kings; verses 4-5 about the security of kings; and our words about the prerogative of kings. Because it is the prerogative of the king to elevate whom he wants to prominence, Solomon's advice is that the young person not assert the self but rather wait until called to the position. Let's explore this idea, especially in the context of 21st century life.

III. Waiting Your Turn in 2007

If there is any popular advice on the subject which freely flows in America is that you not only have to look out for "number 1" but that aggressiveness and energetic self-promotion are the keys to getting what you want out of life. If you see something that you want, go after it! We celebrate the lives and reward the pocketbooks fo those who seemingly heed this advice. Leaders need to "take charge."

Ambition is a phenomenon we can recognize over the centuries, even if the tactics towards realizing one's ambition are different. Those young men in Prov. 25 were at court, or sought to be in the king's presence, because of the honors, excitement, remuneration or learning that flowed from that position. But the advice given to them on the way to advance was to "wait your turn," i.e., to wait until the "one in charge" had initiated the contact. Like Esther before King Ahasuerus, who had to wait for the sceptre to be extended before she could safely come into the king's presence (Est. 4:9-17), so the ambitious courtier also had to wait.

I am wondering whether maybe this advice ought to be taught in our business schools today, rather than the popular wisdom which I have referred to above. I am wondering whether, in all situations, it is best to have ambitions, to be sure, but then to let them "steep" as we learn the ways of the world, and then wait for the invitations to come. Let me give another illustration of this "wait your turn" attitude from ancient literature to support my point.

One of the books I used in teaching ancient history to undergraduate students was Confucius' Analects. Like all collections of wise sayings, they are timebound and timeless. Confucius also exhorts young people on how to "make it" in a court society. One of his exhortations in Book I (#10) reminded me of the passage from Proverbs. It says:

"Tzu-Ch'in said to Tzu-kung, 'When our Master (i.e., Confucius) arrives in a fresh country he always manages to find out about its policy (i.e., the secret maxims which inspire a ruler). Does he do this by asking questions, or do pople tell him of their own accord?' Tzu-kung said, 'Our master gets things by being cordial, frank, courteous, temperate, deferential. That is our Master's way of enquiring--a very different matter, certainly, from the way in which enquiries are generally made.'"

Fascinating, isn't it? Instead of being the aggressive questioner, the one who really wants to "get to the bottom" of a situation to establish understanding, Confucius discovered that you learn more from people if you just demonstrate cordiality, frankness, deference and temperance. Then, they will perceive in you someone who is worthy of their trust and secret information.

Conclusion

Thus, the "bottom line" from all of this is that a person gets further in life by waiting until one is "called." Does that mean you just "wait around" with no particular goals or actions? Of course not. Show the virtues that are part of your character, and people will notice. Opportunities will open. Rather than being on a single-minded and heedless mission for self-advancement or promotion, the Scripture (confirmed by Confucius' approach) urges the cultivation of wisdom and attractive character attributes. That, combined with waiting your turn, so to speak, is the way of wisdom and of success. Do what you can to cultivate the self; do what is in your power to do; let others exercise their power towards you when you are doing what you do best. Then, perhaps, you will be invited to "come up here."

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